A Rake For Every Reason

It felt like one minute I was all cozy under a quilt, hot chocolate at hand, reading a good book and the next minute I was running like a crazed woman; rake in each hand with the lawn aerator dragging behind me!

There is no easing into spring, one just has to jump in with both feet and take off running. Even stopping to scratch items off my To Day list is taboo as that takes away from attacking the next detail and there is simply no time for that.

It probably didn’t help matters that the combine had to be pulled out of storage and making harvest crew lunches in April just makes a person totally off kilter! Having said that though we are simply tickled pink that many of the aces have already been chewed off and binned when just weeks ago we were certain we wouldn’t be getting to those over wintered swaths for many weeks yet.

One noon time I was busy making up sandwich ‘buns’ to deliver to my favorite combine operator (our grandson). I had laid out everything and was slapping them together with great gusto; I was filling up the lunch bag with all kinds of goodies to sustain a growing teenager while he was confined to the combine cab. After putting all the ‘fixings’ away I turned to grab my own bun only to discover it was MIA. I was searching frantically wondering where I had misplaced it when I spied Farmer Hubby happily devouring it; now don’t get me wrong I don’t mind him eating it at all it is just he seldom consumes more than one in a sitting. He must have seen the puzzled look on my face as he mumbled around the crumbs something like, “was this yours?”, I told him not to fret and fetched it all back out to make myself some nourishment before attacking the next To Do chore.

The robins just suddenly materialized and they have been hopping all over the lawn as I’ve been raking up the leaves and dead grass. They appear to have no fear this year so either they have become accustom to me or they are starving and have little regard for their own safety. I have also noticed a good-sized flock of red winged black birds have also taken up residence in the trees. A few of the woodpeckers have started hammering on the fuel tank and other metal buildings serenading for new mates. I can’t figure out how that constant drumming doesn’t give them a massive headache but perhaps it is worth it in order to find the perfect bride.

I have spotted the crows gathering up all the Fjord’s horse hair that I have brushed out of her; I imagine that it makes the best lining for their nests and will make them comfy and cozy for their off spring (don’t let Farmer Hubby know that as he spends many hours hunting and destroying their nests as they get to be such a pest!)

I had Rocky out for his daily walk a few days ago and he spied a squirrel inside one of the bird feeders gobbling up the sunflower seeds. He took off like a flash and if I hadn’t been tangled up in his leash, he would have successfully caught this fuzzy invader. He was a little bit put out with me, but I assured him that I’m not certain he would have known what to do with the critter once he got it! He of course begs to differ!

Each day the grass becomes a deeper shade of green and it still remains a welcome sight. After all the raking and aeration, I have wondered if I should fertilize it as I know that would be helpful with the weed control. However, keeping abreast of the mowing in any given year is quite the challenge without giving the lawn the boost of fertilizer; I guess for now the jury is still out on if I will or will not attempt this.

I am getting itchy to start a few items in the greenhouse and that just might be my next task, but I still have an hour or two of raking to complete.

If you live close by and are missing the ‘burn’ of a work out in the gym just drop on by and I’d be happy to plop a rake in your hand and assign you a patch of ground to work on well away from all civilization and accommodating all social distancing regulations!